Attendance at the Penang Puppet Festival 2026
2026/8/16
On August 16th, Mr. Shinya Machida, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, attended “Mekar Raya: Traditional Potehi Performance Night,” one of the main programmes of the “Penang Puppet Festival 2026 – BERBUNGA,” held at COEX@KilangBesi within Hin Bus Depot in Penang. The performance showcased how Potehi, a traditional form of glove puppetry originating in Fujian, China, spread across Asia and developed distinctive forms under the influence of the histories, languages, and cultures of different regions. Troupes from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan presented performances reflecting their respective traditions.
Potehi is a traditional Fujianese form of glove puppetry in which puppets are manipulated with the fingers, and it spread throughout Southeast Asia alongside the development of Chinese communities in the region. Although it has a long history in Penang, passing the tradition on to younger generations has become an increasingly important challenge. Local troupe Ombak POTEHI has sought to preserve and develop the tradition by maintaining traditional puppetry techniques and music while incorporating Penang’s multicultural society, local history and languages in ways that are accessible to contemporary audiences. The performances demonstrated how an art form sharing common cultural roots has evolved differently in each region, reflecting the long history of human movement and cultural exchange across Southeast and East Asia.
Exchanges have also developed over the years between Potehi practitioners in Penang and Japan. In 2017, with support from the Japan Foundation Asia Center, Ombak POTEHI held performances, workshops, and lectures in Tokyo. In 2023, at the George Town Festival, Ombak POTEHI also collaborated with Team ITO, a Japanese Edo-style string puppetry group, in a joint performance. Following the performance, Mr. Machida exchanged views with Mr. Marcus Lim, Artistic Director of Ombak POTEHI and Festival Director of the Penang Puppet Festival, Prof. Tan Sooi Beng, Honorary Professor at USM, and other participants on passing the tradition on to future generations, educational activities, regional cooperation in Asia, and past exchanges with Japan.
The Consulate-General of Japan in Penang believes that cultural exchange should not be limited to the one-way introduction of Japanese culture but should also provide opportunities for Japanese culture and the cultures nurtured over many years in Malaysia and elsewhere in Asia to learn from one another and deepen mutual understanding. The Consulate-General will continue, wherever possible, to support cooperation among cultural practitioners so that exchanges between Japan and Penang, and more broadly among the peoples of Asia, can continue to deepen.
Potehi is a traditional Fujianese form of glove puppetry in which puppets are manipulated with the fingers, and it spread throughout Southeast Asia alongside the development of Chinese communities in the region. Although it has a long history in Penang, passing the tradition on to younger generations has become an increasingly important challenge. Local troupe Ombak POTEHI has sought to preserve and develop the tradition by maintaining traditional puppetry techniques and music while incorporating Penang’s multicultural society, local history and languages in ways that are accessible to contemporary audiences. The performances demonstrated how an art form sharing common cultural roots has evolved differently in each region, reflecting the long history of human movement and cultural exchange across Southeast and East Asia.
Exchanges have also developed over the years between Potehi practitioners in Penang and Japan. In 2017, with support from the Japan Foundation Asia Center, Ombak POTEHI held performances, workshops, and lectures in Tokyo. In 2023, at the George Town Festival, Ombak POTEHI also collaborated with Team ITO, a Japanese Edo-style string puppetry group, in a joint performance. Following the performance, Mr. Machida exchanged views with Mr. Marcus Lim, Artistic Director of Ombak POTEHI and Festival Director of the Penang Puppet Festival, Prof. Tan Sooi Beng, Honorary Professor at USM, and other participants on passing the tradition on to future generations, educational activities, regional cooperation in Asia, and past exchanges with Japan.
The Consulate-General of Japan in Penang believes that cultural exchange should not be limited to the one-way introduction of Japanese culture but should also provide opportunities for Japanese culture and the cultures nurtured over many years in Malaysia and elsewhere in Asia to learn from one another and deepen mutual understanding. The Consulate-General will continue, wherever possible, to support cooperation among cultural practitioners so that exchanges between Japan and Penang, and more broadly among the peoples of Asia, can continue to deepen.
